Have you mastered the art of smiling without showing your teeth? Do you avoid find yourself covering your mouth when you talk or hiding when you have to have your picture taken? If you’re dodging the camera because your pearly whites aren’t so white or your smile isn’t so straight, it may be time to talk to your dentist about porcelain veneers. Dr. Erpenbach offers patients porcelain veneers as an option to makeover their smile and regain their confidence.

What Are Porcelain Veneers?Porcelain veneers are very thin- but extremely durable pieces of ceramic that are layered and bonded to your teeth. Veneers can cover flaws like misshapen or broken teeth, crooked teeth, or teeth that are crooked. Veneers can also cover spaces between teeth. They can also color teeth that have been stained by smoking and diet, and teeth that have yellowed because of aging.

Porcelain? For My Teeth? Yes. Porcelain. It may be surprising, but porcelain is extremely durable. Its durability alone makes it a great option for patients who want to update their smiles. Porcelain is also very customizable, so patients can rest assured their new smile will look natural. Porcelain veneers can even be color matched to other teeth for a subtle new look.

Patients with porcelain veneers can eat or drink most foods but should take care when eating extremely hard or extremely sticky foods. This warning is also given to many patients who do not have veneers. The reason? These foods can be extremely damaging to veneers and to tooth enamel. Another warning that goes for patients- with veneers or not- is to not use your teeth as tools. This means not using teeth to tear open packaging or using them to open bottles.

How Do I Get Porcelain Veneers?Patients who want porcelain veneers will come in for a consultation and exam. The consultation is to determine the patient’s personal vision is for their smile, and the exam is to make sure that any oral health concerns are addressed before the patient gets veneers. During the exam, impressions of the teeth and measurements are taken. These impressions and measurements are used to design veneers that are the right size for your teeth.

Once the veneer is designed, patients are given a photo mock-up for how they will look with the veneers. When the patient is satisfied with their smile mock-up, the veneers will be bonded to the tooth. To do so, the teeth are lightly filed so the adhesive can bond the veneer tightly to the tooth and to make sure there is enough room in the mouth to accommodate the new layer on the teeth.

After the veneers are placed, they a recurred with a special laser to ensure they are permanent. Patients are then evaluated to make sure the veneers fit properly so the integrity of the bite is maintained. In some cases, some minor adjustments need to be made to correct the bite for the patient, but the majority of porcelain veneer patients love their new smiles and say they feel just like regular teeth.

Do you have questions about how porcelain veneers can save your smile? Call Dr. Erpenbach today at 865-584-8630.

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Knoxville dentist Jim Erpenbach DDS has built his practice around minimally invasive, Biomimetic Dentistry. Using this philosophy, he offers exceptional dental care - ranging from cosmetic dentistry to family dentistry and preventative care - to patients all around the country. Most of his patients do come from the Knoxville, Tennessee area, of course, especially from West Knoxville and zip codes 37919 and 37922.